Restaurants provide an important career path for millions of Americans. Half of all U.S. adults have worked in the restaurant industry, and 80 percent of restaurant owners say their first job in the field was an entry-level position, according to the National Restaurant Association. From dishwashers to managers, restaurants need employees at all levels of experience. Expect opportunity in the industry: The association forecasts employment will go from 12.9 million in 2012 to 14.3 million in 2022.

Chefs

Chefs and head cooks direct the preparation of dishes. They plan and price menu items, order supplies and keep records. Chefs and head cooks earned a median annual wage of $42,350 as of May 2011, with the bottom 10 percent of earners averaging $24,770 and the top 10 percent averaging $74,060, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Top-paying industries included water transportation, with a mean annual wage of $73,010, and amusement parks and arcades, at $67,580. Best-paying states for mean wages included New York, at $67,950, New Jersey, at $60,460, and Hawaii, at $52,700.

Cooks

Cooks work under chefs to prepare, season and cook dishes. Their median annual wage as of May 2011 was $22,080, according to the BLS. The bottom 10 percent of earners averaged $16,800, while the top 10 percent averaged $32,160. The best industries for pay included support services for facilities such as convention centers, which offered a mean annual wage of $37,120, and water transportation, at $36,870. Hospitals also paid more than average, at $34,250. For best-paying states, cooks should look toward Hawaii, where mean annual pay was $31,100, or Nevada, at $29,030. Alaska, the District of Columbia and New York rounded out the top five, all with annual wages of just over $28,000.

Wait Staff

Waiters and waitresses take orders and serve food and drinks. Their median wage was $18,570 as of May 2011, with the bottom 10 percent of earners averaging $16,070 and the top 10 percent averaging $29,820, according to the BLS. Wait staff working for religious organizations had the highest mean annual wage by industry, with earnings of $26,380. Wait staff at elementary and secondary schools came in second, at $26,350. Among states, wait staff working in the District of Columbia had the highest mean income, $29,420. Washington ranked second, at $28,990. Massachusetts’ mean wage of $27,600 came in third. Vermont, at $26,170, and Oregon, at $25,720, completed the top five states for earnings.

Dishwashers

Dishwashers clean dishes, utensils and food-preparation equipment. The median annual income for dishwashers was $18,360 as of May 2011, according to the BLS. The bottom 10 percent of earners averaged $16,040, while the top 10 percent averaged $23,280. Best pay by industry was in rehabilitation services, at $27,390, and other personal services, at $25,790. Dishwashers in Hawaii had the highest mean wage among states, $24,590. Nevada came in second, at $24,420, and dishwashers in the District of Columbia ranked third, at $23,490. Massachusetts, at $21,420, and Connecticut, at $21,300, also placed in the top five states for pay.

Managers

Food-service managers plan, direct and coordinate restaurant activities. BLS numbers show food-service managers took home a median of $48,110 as of May 2011. The average was $30,570 among the bottom 10 percent of earners, and $81,410 among the top 10 percent. Best-paying sectors for food-service managers were grocery wholesalers, at a mean wage of $91,910, and hospitals, at $71,110. Food-service managers earned the highest mean wage of $73,330 in Delaware. Washington-based managers took home a mean of $71,080, while managers in Nevada earned $68,490. New Jersey, at $67,410, and New York, at $64,120, also ranked highly for pay.